STAR WARS : THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - Monday 23rd December 2019.

'STAR WARS : THE RISE OF SKYWALKER' has an M Rating, and so it is with much fanfare, hype and anticipation that the final instalment in the epic space opera franchise which I saw earlier this week and which had its humble beginnings way back in 1977, finally draws to a close. 'The Rise of Skywalker' marks the third instalment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following 2015's 'The Force Awakens' and 2017's 'The Last Jedi', and the final episode of the nine-part 'Skywalker Saga'. The 'Star Wars' franchise has spawned multiple films and animated movies and television series. The original trilogy was released between 1977 and 1983, the prequel trilogy between 1999 and 2005, and a sequel trilogy began in 2015, and comes to an end this year with the release of this film. In between the sequel films, two anthology films were released, 2016's 'Rogue One' and 2018's 'Solo: A Star Wars Story', both set between the prequel and original trilogies. The combined global Box Office revenue of the films equates to over US$9B and is currently the second-highest-grossing film franchise, behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 'Star Wars : The Force Awakens' currently sits at the top of the sales ladder with US$2.07B, followed by 'Star Wars : The Last Jedi' at US$1.33B, then 'Rogue One : A Star Wars Story' at US$1.06B with 'Star Wars : Episode I : The Phantom Menace' also in the one billion dollar club at US$1.03B. This films sees J.J. Abrams returning to the Directors and Screenwriters chair following his success with 'The Force Awakens' and after the ousting of Colin Trevorrow following creative differences with the Studio and a breakdown in his relationship with Producer Kathleen Kennedy. The film saw its worldwide release last week, has so far taken US$517M off the back of a production budget in the region of US$275M and has garnered generally mixed reviews.

Set a year following the events of 'The Last Jedi', the surviving Resistance led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) intercept a mystery message beamed across the galaxy by the apparently dead Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Meanwhile Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the Supreme Leader of the First Order locates just one of two Sith wayfinder devices that directs him to the planet of Exegol, in the Unknown zone. Arriving there, Ren finds an almost physically disabled Palpatine rigged up to some sort of vast life support machine who proceeds to tell him that he created Snoke (the former Supreme Leader of the First Order whom Ren sliced in half at the waist in the last film) as a puppet to control the First Order and lure Ren to the dark side. Palpatine reveals a secret army of Star Destroyers and tells Ren to find and kill Rey (Daisy Ridley), who is still undergoing Jedi training with General Leia Organa, so that he can take his rightful place as the Emperor.

In the meantime, Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) receive official word from a spy within the First Order confirming Palpatine's return. Rey uncovers notes in Luke Skywalker's Jedi texts about a Sith wayfinder device that will help them locate Palpatine. Rey, Poe, Finn, Chewbacca, BB-8, and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) all leave for the planet Pasaana to seek the wayfinder, while R2-D2 stays with Leia. Arriving on Pasaana, the group comes across a once in every 42 year carnival with the locals out partying like it's 1999.

Ren quickly learns where Rey is located through their shared bond of the Force and travels there with his Knights of Ren. When an advance party of Knights arrive the group are quickly given shelter by Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) who directs them to the wayfinder's last suspected location. Rey and the others discover the skeletal remains of assassin Ochi, his ship, and a dagger inscribed with Sith text, which C-3PO's programming forbids him from deciphering.

Sensing that Ren is rapidly approaching, Rey goes out into the desert to confront him. The First Order captures the Millennium Falcon, takes Chewbacca prisoner, and Ochi's dagger which Chewie had stowed away in his satchel. Rey slices through the wing of Ren's advancing ship causing it to bounce across the desert dunes and explode into ball of flame. However, Ren walks away from this completely unharmed and in attempting to save Chewbacca, Rey inadvertently destroys a First Order transporter with Force lightning in a stand-off with Ren. The group escapes on Ochi's old, yet still serviceable ship, assuming Chewbacca was killed in the resultant explosion.

Poe reluctantly suggests traveling to Kijimi to have the Sith text extracted from C-3PO's memory banks, although he has bittersweet memories of his time on this planet and vowed never to return . . . but when duty calls! The process wipes C-3PO's memory, but reveals coordinates to a wayfinder on Kef Bir. Rey, through her Force sense, sees that Chewbacca is in fact still alive, and the group mounts a rescue mission. While Ren searches for Rey, on Kijimi the group infiltrates his Star Destroyer with the help of Zorii Bliss, a seemingly former love interest of Poe's. Rey recovers the dagger and has visions of Ochi killing her parents with it, while Finn and Poe rescue Chewbacca. Ren   informs Rey again through their shared bond of the Force that she is Palpatine's granddaughter and that Palpatine had ordered Ochi to find Rey as a child, but her parents hid her on Jakku to keep her safe. Finn and Poe get into a firefight with a bunch of stormtroopers and are captured and ordered for immediate execution. General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) thwarts the execution squad and reveals himself as the spy, allowing the group to escape on the retrieved Falcon. Hux is promptly executed as the known spy in the ranks for treason by Allegiant General Pryde (Richard E. Grant).

The group land on the windswept planet of Kef Bir. Jannah (Naomi Ackie), a Resistance sympathiser, leads them to the remains of the second Death Star, where Rey locates the wayfinder having traversed massive ocean swells to get there. Ren, having tracked the group to Kef Bir, and not far behind Rey destroys her newly found wayfinder and asks her to help him overthrow Palpatine.

Rey and Ren duel on the wreckage of the downed Death Star amidst ever mounting seas. Leia, now dying, calls to Ren through the Force, distracting him, and Rey impales him with her light sabre. Sensing Leia's death, Rey heals Ren's life threatening injury and exiles herself on Ahch-To. There, Luke's Force spirit encourages Rey to face Palpatine, and he gives her Leia's lightsaber and his old X-wing so that she can get off the island.

Rey leaves for Exegol, using the wayfinder from Ren's ship. Still on Kef Bir Ren speaks with a vision of his father Han Solo (Harrison Ford), ultimately seeing the error of his ways and throwing away his lightsaber assumes his true his identity as Ben Solo. Palpatine sends one of his Star Destroyers to destroy Kijimi as a show of force.

At the Resistance base, the group reconvene minus Rey, and learn that Leia has since died. R2-D2 restores C-3PO's memory. After a brief period of mourning, the assembled Resistance follow Rey's coordinates to Exegol. Meanwhile, there she confronts Palpatine and he demands she kill him to transfer his spirit into her so that she can claim her rightful place as the ruler over the galaxy. Lando in the meantime has mustered reinforcements from across the galaxy to join the battle. Ben arrives to help Rey, overpowering the Knights of Ren. Recognising that Rey and Ben are a rare Force dyad, Palpatine drains their power to reinvigorate himself. He attacks the entire Resistance fleet with Force lightning and sends Ben careering backwards into a deep ravine.

Rey, weakened, hears the voices of past Jedi, who lend her their strength. Palpatine attacks her with his lightning, but Rey deflects it back at him using the Skywalker lightsabers, killing him and herself in the process. Ben has picked himself up, dusted himself down and clambered out of the dark depths of the cavernous ravine into which he was thrust, and revives Rey by transferring his life force into her. They kiss, and Ben dies. The Resistance destroys the remainder of Palpatine's vast armada of attack ships. As the Resistance celebrates its great victory, Rey visits the now long abandoned Lars homestead on Tatooine. There she buries the Skywalker lightsabers in the sand, having built her own.

'Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker' is all style over substance for me. It's impressively filmed with more than its fair share of action set pieces to keep the viewer entertained, and these are all delivered with spectacle and an eye for attention grabbing detail. But conversely, the film is way to busy thrusting us from one fight sequence to another without seemingly any let up whether its one on one, group on group, the Sith on the Jedi, or The First Order on the Resistance, its relentless at the expense of any further character development, imagination, emotion or time to really comprehend what just went before.  And what's with the indestructible Kylo Ren/Ben Solo who should have died from his injuries on at least three separate occasions by my reckoning only to bounce back each time completely unscathed - like he's Wile E. Coyote! This final instalment is entertaining enough but it treads largely down a familiar path that we have seen before over the course of its eight predecessors. The end when it comes feels rushed to get there, and it will offer few surprises as the end is the title of the film, and our heroine of the last three films rises as Skywalker somewhat unpredictably. Worth seeing on a big screen with glorious surround sound, but don't go in with too high an expectation to see anything especially new or inventive in the storyline narrative.

'Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

STAR WARS : THE LAST JEDI - Tuesday 19th December 2017.

'STAR WARS : THE LAST JEDI' which I saw this week has finally arrived, from a galaxy far far away after all the hype, the huge expectations and the eager anticipation comes forth the eighth instalment in the epic space opera franchise that had its beginnings forty years ago back in 1977, and shows no signs of letting up. This second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy is Written and Directed by Rian Johnson whose other film credits are 'Brick' in 2005, 'The Brothers Bloom' in 2008, 'Looper' in 2012 and now this movie behemoth. Following hot on the heels of the J.J. Abrams seventh instalment 'Star Wars : The Force Awakens' which returned US$2.07B at the global Box Office and now stands as the third highest grossing film of all time, here many of those characters from 'The Force Awakens' return to reprise their roles including Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke, Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux, Anthony Daniels as C3PO, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma with Benicio del Toro, Laura Dern and in cameo roles appearing as Storm Troopers or lending their voices are Simon Pegg, Gareth Edwards, Gary Barlow, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Prince Harry, Prince William and Justin Theroux amongst others. On a production budget of US$200M the film grossed US$450M in its opening weekend - the fifth highest opening weekend take of all time, and at the time of writing had taken US$634M and received widespread Critical acclaim.

This film then follows on directly from where 'The Force Awakens' left off. The opening scene after the introductory scrawl is an epic space battle involving Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac) in a Resistance counterattack against the First Order and General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) gives the order to evacuate their base. The remaining Resistance vessels jump forward into hyperspace to escape the oncoming First Order, but surprisingly, they are able to follow using a tracking device.

Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) leads a fleet to destroy the Resistance support fighters but hesitates upon approach to the lead ship sensing that his mother (Leia Organa) is on board. Instead TIE fighters fire on the bridge of the lead Resistance ship taking out several leaders and injuring General Organa. Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern) is next in command and so she assumes responsibility in Organa's absence. Seemingly without any kind of plan, Poe quickly become agitated by Holdo's inertia, and with Finn (John Boyega), Poe's droid BB-8, and maintenance worker Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) hatch a secret plan to locate, and disable the First Order's tracking device. But, time is running out, as the lead ship is running very low on fuel reserves and cannot sustain any more that one hyperspace jump.

Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley), with Chewbacca and R2-D2 arrive on the Millennium Falcon at the remote island on the oceanic planet Ahch-To with the aim of tracking down Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and convincing him to return to the Resistance and fight The First Order (where the last instalment left the world hanging!) Luke has been in hiding on the island for the past six years and has become disillusioned by the failings of the Jedi and wants to live out his days in peace. Even after hearing of Han Solo's death, Luke remains unconvinced to join the Resistance. However, one day while snooping around the Millennium Falcon Luke comes across his old tin can mate R2-D2 and as a result of that encounter he agrees to teach Rey in the ways of the Jedi and The Force.

However, meanwhile Rey and Kylo Ren have begun communicating with each other telepathically. Amongst other things Rey is of the belief that Kylo Ren can be redeemed from the Dark Side, as there is still some good in him trying to shine through. She then leaves Ahch-To aboard the Millennium Falcon to confront Kylo Ren face to face without Luke's assistance. Luke meanwhile has an audience with Yoda's force ghost while attempting to burn down the sacred Jedi temple and library tree that houses the ancient Jedi scripts, but halts before doing so. Yoda in turn ignites the tree telling Luke to learn a valuable lesson from his own failures.

Back on the Resistance lead ship, Holdo reveals plans to secretly abandon ship using smaller transport craft to ferry the remaining survivors to the safety of the nearby Rebel Alliance planet of Crait. Poe however, thinks that her plan is foolhardy and cowardly opting to run rather than face their enemy, and so initiates a mutiny and assumes command. Meanwhile Finn, Rose and BB-8 need to get to the casino on Canto Bite to locate a hacker who has been recommended to them by Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o), as the only person in the known galaxy capable of infiltrating the First Order's ship and disabling the tracking device. Arriving, they are quickly chased down by authorities, and thrown in jail only to meet with DJ (Benicio Del Toro) an underworld codebreaker who claims to be the best in the business and can help them . . . for a price. After breaking out of the prison cell and running amok through the city leaving destruction and mayhem in their wake, they get off Canto Bite, and arrive at the First Order's mother ship which houses the tracking device.

DJ does his codebreaking stuff with relative ease and they gain access to the tracking device only for Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) and a brigade of Stormtroopers to arrive and arrest them all. It turns out the DJ double-crossed and turned in Finn and Rose for his own personal gain of a handsome reward. Phasma orders the execution of Finn and Rose, but just in the nick of time BB-8 who has hitherto escaped capture comes to the rescue all guns blazing (literally) and saves the day. Phasma and Finn battle it out between themselves, with Phasma ultimately falling to a fiery grave, so allowing Finn, Rose and BB-8 to escape.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the ship, Rey has arrived and Kylo Ren brings her to Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Snoke is intent on snuffing out Rey's light and her growing command of The Force, and orders Kylo Ren to kill her as a test of his resolve and his loyalty to the Supreme Leader. Instead, using his own powers, Kylo Ren manipulates Rey's lightsabre which Snoke has in his possession, to slice Snoke in half at the waist. The two then do battle with Snoke's guards. With that job done, Kylo Ren invites Rey to turn to the Dark Side and rule over the galaxy with him, for he feels the connection between them is strong. When Rey refuses, the two go head to head both using the power of The Force to gain possession of Anakin Skywalker's lightsabre, the same one used to kill Snoke, which splits in two.

Back on the Resistance mother ship, Leia is awakened by a vision of Luke. She stuns Poe and sides with Holdo in allowing the escape plan to proceed. When all souls have evacuated the ship, Holdo remains as the ship still needs someone to steer her course and to trick Snoke's fleet into thinking that what's left of the crew remain on board, and therefore an easy target. But, DJ revealed the escape plan to the First Order, who bombard the fleeing escape pods resulting in heavy losses, with Poe looking on in disbelief. Holdo, however, does the noble thing and turning the Resistance mother ship around to face that of the First Order, engages hyperspeed and in so doing rips through Snoke's ship. Rey escapes the ensuing carnage, Kylo Ren declares himself the new Supreme Leader, and BB-8, Finn and Rose join the survivors en route to Crait.

When the Resistance arrive on Crait they make for a heavily fortified mountain retreat that used to be a stronghold for the Rebel Alliance. Buried in a mountainside they feel they are almost invincible until the First Order arrives with Kylo Ren and General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) at the bridge, and a giant enemy canon in tow to blast a hole into the mountain side protective doorway. Poe, Finn and Rose lead the Resistance into battle using aged speeders, but in reality these are easy pickings for the might of the First Order's superior fire power. In a last ditch attempt to take out the canon, Finn decides on a suicide mission to do so, since almost all other speeders have been downed. Rose however, intercepts Finn at the last minute so saving him, but almost sacrificing herself in the process. As a result the canon blasts a gaping hole in the mountainside fortress, so allowing the First Order to gain entry.

Luke appears to Leia, and then confronts Kylo Ren outside the mountain fortress. Kylo Ren orders all the firepower to be turned on Luke and continue blasting him to kingdom come until he gives the order to cease. When the dust and smoke has cleared Luke emerges unscathed, much to Kylo Ren's surprise and disgust. He then decides to confront Luke face to face, man to man and gaining the upper hand stabs Luke with his lightsabre, only to learn that he has been battling it out with Luke's hologram - his projection of The Force. At this point Luke tells Kylo Ren that he will not be the last Jedi, and as such he needs to get used to the idea and suck it up! Meanwhile, Rey assists the surviving Resistance fighters to escape from Crait aboard the Millennium Falcon. Back on Ahch-To Luke succumbs to the exhaustion of projecting himself to Kylo Ren, and passes away peacefully and willingly. Leia remarks that all is far from lost, and that the Rebellion still has the strength and the determination to succeed and rise up once more.

This is a satisfying entry into the universe that is Star Wars, if a little disjointed. The plot, the ensemble cast, the visual FX, the action set pieces, a dash of emotion and a hint of humour along the way are all in favour of the film, but the timeline seems out of kilter to me completely. While Rey and Luke bother themselves on Ahch-To with getting to know you back & forth banter that seems to go on for weeks, elsewhere in the galaxy time is of the essence as the Resistance mother ship has literally only several hours of fuel reserves left during which time the rest of the movie plays out in what seem like just a couple of days by comparison. For me this just didn't add up, even with the vagaries of hyper speed intergalactic travel. This is not up there with 'The Force Awakens' but is a worthy next instalment nonetheless that poses enough questions in anticipation of 'Star Wars : Episode IX' which is due for release in December 2019, takes the characters in a new and sometimes unexpected and welcome  direction, and is certainly worth the price of your ticket, and to see Carrie Fisher in her trademark role for the final time . . . and Mark Hamill too for that matter! 'Episode IX' will be Directed once again by J.J. Abrams following the hasty departure of Colin Trevorrow in September this year, and in the meantime we have 'Solo : A Star Wars Story' to look forward to, as Directed by Ron Howard and due in May 2018.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

mother! : Tuesday 19th September 2017

'MOTHER !' is a psychological horror film Written by Darren Aronofsky in just five days, and is Co-Produced and Directed by him too. His previous screen Directing credits include 'Requiem for a Dream', 'The Fountain', 'The Wrestler', 'Black Swan' and 'Noah' and so far during his career to date he has amassed 35 award wins and 79 other nominations. The film had its worldwide Premier at the very recent Venice Film Festival where the film was both booed and received a standing ovation at the same time, was released in the US and in Australia on the 15th September, and it would be fair to say that this film has polarised audiences the world over. Some have praised it for the performances of the principle Actors and for Aronofsky's Direction, whilst others have criticised it for its story, disturbing scenes, muddled mixed messages and its metaphorical narrative. The film cost US$30M to make and has so far recovered US$26M.

The film opens up with a blackened landscape ravaged by fire, homing in on a grand stand alone colonial style house that is burnt out, but still standing. A man, Him (Javier Bardem), places a large crystal like object on a three pronged pedestal in his study, and immediately the house begins to reform to its former glory, with all signs of fire damage washing away, and in turn the burnt out landscape surrounding the home is restored to a lush green gardens bordered by verdant woodland. A form rises out of the bed from the ashes on a bright sunlit morning, and up sits Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) who calls after Him, her husband. She ventures down stairs searching for Him, opening the front door on a new day, when he suddenly appears behind her. He is an acclaimed author and poet with a severe case of writers block that he is seemingly unable to shake off, and she goes about her daily routine of restoring the property after the fire - an ongoing work in progress making steady and sure progress. However, Him's creative blockade begins to undermine their peaceful country living existence, and soon Mother begins having visions around the house of things that unnerve and unsettle her.

One day, a Man (Ed Harris) rocks up at the door, claiming that he was told that their property was a Bed & Breakfast, and he is looking for somewhere to stay having recently moved into the area. Almost immediately Him is taken in by the Man, and as it is approaching the evening Him offers to let the Man stay for the night. Mother agrees albeit very reluctantly. She witnesses the Man having severe bouts of coughing fits to the point where he is physically sick. The two men stay up late into the night drinking, chatting and laughing like long lost mates. The next day, there is another knock at the door, and the Man's wife, Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) arrives to take up residence, marching on in believing the place to be a Bed & Breakfast too.

Fairly quickly Mother becomes frustrated by Man and Woman's presence around her home, invading their privacy, offering unwanted advice, and making a very unwelcome nuisance of themselves. Mother wants them gone, but Him says that their presence makes the house feel lived in and alive. Furthermore, Him reveals that Man is dying and he has learned that they are big fans of his work, and that Man wanted to meet Him before he dies. Later, Man and Woman take it upon themselves to go into Him's private study that is out of bounds to visitors. In doing so they are intrigued by the crystal object and while handling it, they let it fall to the floor shattering it into a thousand pieces. Him is furious and can hardly contain himself. Him and Mother agree to ask them to leave.

While preparing to leave there is another knock at the door and in barge to feuding young men - Man and Woman's grown up boys - the Oldest Son (Domhnall Gleeson) and his Younger Brother (Brian Gleeson). They are arguing and shouting at each other over the recently discovered will of their father which leaves everything to the Younger Brother. They fight in an all out brawl that sets tables and chairs sent flying and household objects trashed. The Younger Brother is accidentally mortally injured at the hands of the Oldest Son, who flees upon seeing blood oozing form the back of his brothers head, leaving Man and Woman to take their youngest son to the nearest hospital, accompanied by Him. When Him returns, he reveals that Younger Brother has died and has been subsequently buried. Later that evening a horde of people arrive at the house for the wake immediately making them selves at home and further frustrating Mother for their blatant disregard of her household, their possessions and their privacy. She reaches breaking point, when a couple who deliberately break a kitchen sink that has not yet been set, flood the lower house when they break the plumbing and water gushes out of every service pipe. When all the 'guests' have left Mothers berates Him for allowing so many unwanted and unwelcome people into their home. The couple argue fiercely, which turns into them having sex. The morning after, Mother announces that she his pregnant.

This news fills Him with a joy and an elation that motivates and inspires his creative juices. Suddenly Him has rediscovered his writing mojo and frantically puts pen to paper. In due course he lets Mother read the final pages of his work and then announces that his latest work has been published already. To celebrate, Mother prepares a romantic dinner for two, by now increasingly pregnant. As she is about to serve up dinner, Him is outside on the front veranda surrounded by a growing multitude of his fans all wanting an autograph and a piece of him. More fans arrive, and then more, and pretty soon, these fans are wanting to use the toilet, the telephone, helping themselves to the dinner spread she had so lovingly prepared earlier, and in due course ransacking the house of the couples possessions as mementos and keepsakes of their author hero. The house soon descends into chaos as armed Police arrive, and a disoriented Mother who is heavily pregnant, stumbles from one room to another seeking safe refuge, but none is to be found.

Him's Publisher arrives, The Herald (Kirsten Wiig) who at first is sympathetic to Mother and seeks to safeguard her, but soon takes part in the unfolding madness by executing at point blank range several of his fans before more are lined up for the same outcome. Then the military arrive in force to protect Mother and the house quickly becomes a war zone with the onset of her labour. She finds her husband who leads her up to his study where she gives birth to a boy. Outside the study door it has gone eerily quiet. Mother refuses to give up her child to Him, fearful for what he may do, and can she now trust him given everything she has seen and experienced. He says that the crowd beyond the door just want a glimpse of the newborn child, but she refuses. Then she falls asleep cradling the baby, and when she wakes and the baby is no longer in her arms she runs outside the door to see the child being crowd surfed across the room downstairs. Needless to say it doesn't end well for the baby or Mother, with Mother turning on the crowd and slicing and dicing those within easy reach with a broken shard of glass. The crowd turn on her, ripping at her clothes, forcing her to the ground and punching and kicking her to within an inch of her life. Him intervenes and stops the crowd. Mother is able to get away to the cellar where the oil tanker is located that fuels the furnace that heats the house. Despite her husbands pleas, Mother ignites the fuel oil so sending the house, the gathered crowds, herself and the immediate surrounding countryside up in ball of flame.

Both Mother and Him survive the explosion. Mother however, is badly burned all over, her skin charred black. Him, however, is untouched despite his very close proximity to the explosion. Placing her on a bench he asks her for whatever love she has left for him, and she agrees to give it. He then places his hands on her chest and digs in with both his hands pulling out her heart. In his hands the heart turns to charcoal which he crushes in his hands to reveal a crystal like object, identical to the one destroyed previously by Man and Woman. He places the crystal on a three pronged pedestal in his study and immediately the house begins to regenerate from burnt out war torn husk to a newly renovated home, and with it the gardens and surrounding countryside return to their lush green foliage. A new Mother forms in bed out of the ashes, rises up and calls after her husband.

It is easy to see why this film has been so divisive. It is the sort of film you'll either love for its original story telling, bold Direction and strong performances, or you'll hate it for its pretension, its steady descent into complete chaos, its graphic imagery, and its mixed messages. This is not a horror film in the traditional sense, but that doesn't make the film any less terrifying. The horror here too is in the confusion that rains down on Mother and the feeling of helplessness she feels when her peaceful lovingly renovated home is invaded by various individuals on multiple occasions. There are those that will interpret Aronofsky's work here as a metaphorical Garden of Eden, with Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Mother Earth and a God like figure all playing out to the climax of the film where the Earth is cleansed of all sin and everything is made new again. Or the power of a mans relationship over his wife, or some other hidden meaning! But that's OK, because that's what Aronofsky wants - to promote discussion, debate and dialogue about his film - good, bad and indifferent! This is a visually stunning, bold and audacious, original film set within the confines of a large isolated country house, that will provoke further thought and discussion long after the credits have rolled, but, it won't be for everyone!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

AMERICAN MADE : Tuesday 5th September 2017.

I saw 'AMERICAN MADE' earlier this week, and here we have a biographical drama film Directed by Doug Liman whose previous credits include 'Swingers', 'The Bourne Identity', 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith', 'Fair Game', 'Edge of Tomorrow' and the very recently released 'The Wall'. This story surrounds the life and times of Adler Berriman 'Barry' Seal - an American smuggler of drugs and arms, aircraft pilot, dealer, and money launderer who flew flights for the Medellín Cartel, being an organised network of drug suppliers and smugglers originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated throughout the '70's and '80's in Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Central America, and the USA, Canada and Europe. At the height of its operations, the Medellín Cartel smuggled tons of cocaine each week into countries all over the world and brought in up to US$60M daily in drug profits. For a time, the Medellín Cartel supplied at least 84% of the United States and 80% of the global cocaine market. Barry Seal was employed by the Cartel as a pilot and drug smuggler transporting numerous shipments of cocaine from Colombia and Panama to the USA and earned as much as US$500K per flight. This is that outrageous albeit true story. Released in the UK and Australia in late August, and not in the US until the end of September, the film has so far met with generally positive Reviews, and cost a budgeted US$80M to bring to the big screen, and has so far grossed US$22M.

So history lesson over, here Barry Seal is portrayed by Tom Cruise a former TWA commercial pilot who flew for the company from 1966 through until 1974. We join Seal as he is flying regular short haul flights across the USA and Canada. He has got to know his routes and his in-flight procedures, and the plane he flies like clockwork, so much so that he almost treats his passengers with a familiar contempt.

One day at an overnight stopover, Seal is seen loading several large boxes of Cuban cigars into his briefcase as he is about to exit the cockpit. On arriving at his hotel he hands the briefcase over to a contact behind the Reception desk. Later that evening the airline crew and enjoying drinks at the hotel bar, where Seal takes a seat at a quiet table. On a neighbouring table he notices a man going through the very briefcase he handed over the Reception desk as short while earlier, and examining the boxes of Cuban cigars. The man calls out Seal's name, and Seal acknowledges warily, before the man takes a seat at his table. The man, who introduces himself as Monty Schafer (Domhnall Gleeson) seems to know everything about Seal's history, his family and his cigar smuggling scam. Schafer says that the organisation with whom he works (assumed to be the CIA) could use a pilot of Seal's experience and skills. Schafer says that he works for the IAC (Independent Aviation Contractors), and that if Seal were to join them, it could prove to be very lucrative for him.

Seal accepts, and before you know it he has resigned his long term position with a steady salary and employee benefits with TWA and is running his own business under the guise of IAC. Schafer takes Seal to an aircraft hangar in which is a brand new twin prop jet equipped with cameras for taking aerial photographs. He tasks Seal with flying low clandestine reconnaissance flights over Central and northern South America and photograph the various rebel communist camps that are known to exist in secret forest locations. He does this successfully over numerous occasions taking clear overhead photographs (despite getting shot at during almost every fly over by armed rebel forces) that are very well received by Schafer's superiors.

As time passes, Seal finds himself acting as a courier between Schafer's CIA and General Manuel Noriega (Alberto Ospino) in Panama. Seal repeatedly delivers a brown envelope full of cash for Noriega in exchange for secret dossiers on persons and activities of interest to the US Government. Seal sees himself as just a dependable delivery boy who gets things done no questions asked, and this is just another job, done with the full backing and support of the CIA.

During a refuelling stop over in Colombia, Seal is intercepted and escorted by members of the Medellín Cartel, and taken to meet one Pablo Escobar (Mauricio Mejia) and his cohorts. They know of Seal's exploits over their neighbouring countries and territories, and seek his co-operation in flying out their cocaine on his return trips to the US, in a deal that is worth US$2,000 for every kilo he transports. Seal quickly does the maths and decides that this is an offer he simply can't refuse. And so Seal accepts their terms and starts flying routine trips back across Louisiana where he dumps each shipment of cocaine out of the plane as it flies low over scrubland into the hands of eagerly awaiting drug smugglers.

This carries on for a couple of years with Seal running trips twice or three times a week for Escobar and the Cartel. The CIA are aware of this and turn a blind eye, but when Seal is arrested and thrown into a Colombian prison as a result of a raid on Escobar's house during one of Seal's stopovers, then Schafer intervenes and throws him a lifeline. Back in the US, Schafer advises Seal that the DEA are hot on his heals and he needs to relocate himself and his family to the Arkansas town of Mena, and quickly, damn quickly, like before sunrise on the morning that he arrives home all beaten and bruised from his time inside. He quickly musters his wife Lucy (Sarah Wright) and their young family and get the Hell outta Dodge packing up all their worldly possessions into the family station wagon.

Upon arrival at their new CIA organised homestead on the remote outskirts of Mena, Schafer pulls up and takes Seal for a ride to the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport located on 2,000 acres of remote disused real estate, which Schafer announces now belongs in its entirety to Seal together with everything contained therein. This is to be Seal's business headquarters from where he'll fly largely undetected across to Central and South America in the conduct of his business interests with the CIA. In doing so, and based in sleepy little old Mena, Seal amasses such a fortune in cash that he barely knows where to stash it all. He's livin' the dream, making a very large fortune, and all with the knowledge of the CIA. He has to set up various business in the town through which he can launder his money, and the main bank in Mena give over their vault solely to store Seal's vast quantities of cash money.

In time Schafer asked Seal to run guns to the Nicaraguan right wing Contra rebels which were being secretly funded and backed by the US with both financial and military aid. Seal comes to realise that the Contras were not a serious group of rebels, and so he diverts the guns to the Cartel instead. Meanwhile, Schafer and the CIA set up a Contra training camp at Seal's Mena Airport base, and Seal has to fly in the Contra's many of whom quickly flee when they arrive on American soil. By now Seal has expanded his operations to take in four other pilots and jets, all of whom are on frequent picks up and deliveries and wallowing in cash!

Eventually, the CIA shuts down the training camp as quickly as it was set up. Schafer orders the clearing of all evidence that there was a training camp ever in existence, and leaves Seal to his own devices. At the same time Schafer orders the destruction of all records relating to Seal and his covert activities and all evidence linking Seal to the CIA. Seal smells a rat and orders the clearance of his aircraft hanger base of absolutely everything - cocaine haul, the stash of guns, and bag loads of cash amongst other things. But this exercise proves fruitless as the CIA, the DEA, the FBI, the State Police and other sundry law enforcement authorities including local Sheriff Downing (Jesse Plemons) all descend on Seal in unison in the early hours of one morning. They cuff him and take him into custody. Confronted with the DA and life in prison, the phone rings and its Governor Clinton, who orders the release of Seal from custody, and he's free to go, much to the bewilderment of the DA and all those gathered law enforcement officers.

Subsequently Seal makes a deal with the White House who are after hard evidence that the left wing Nicaraguan Sandinistas are trafficking drugs, and they want Seal to obtain photographic evidence that links the Medellín Cartel to the Sandinistas. Seal flies down to Nicaragua with a cargo plane loaded with two Harley-Davidson motorcycles as gifts for Escobar, and plenty of room to load up with an extra large shipment of drugs and contraband for the return flight home. Unknown to Escobar and the Sandinistas, Seal's flying partner on this mission is snapping secret photographs of the shipments being loaded onto the plane, together with all those involved.

Back home after the dust has settled, Seal and his wife Lucy are sat watching the television news and on comes propaganda reports and photographs released by the White House and in particular one National Security Council member, Oliver North, linking the drug Cartel with the Nicaraguan Sandinista's, and front and centre is Barry Seal's smiling face for all the world to see. Needless to say, upon seeing this Escobar orders a hit on Seal for betraying him and the Cartel, and he is also promptly arrested by the US law enforcement authorities because his face is in the photos implicating him in illegal drugs trafficking.

Appearing in court and facing conviction for drug trafficking, gun running, money laundering and who knows what else, Seal is staring down the barrel of a long jail term. Instead the Judge sentences him to one thousand hours of community service, and he is essentially free to go. With his wife and daughter having moved to Baton Rouge, Seal spends his time looking over his shoulder knowing that there will inevitably be a contract out on him. His community service is to be conducted at a Salvation Army Hostel each evening, the same one, and he spends each night staying in a different hotel in an attempt to lure any would-be assassins off his scent. Eventually, however, Barry Seal is shot to death at the wheel of his car outside that Salvation Army Hostel in February 1986. This brings an abrupt end to the DEA's ongoing investigations, and the CIA seize all the evidence linking themselves to drug smuggling and gun running activities, as was documented in numerous video recordings made by Seal leading up to his death, and contained in the trunk of his car.

This is an amazing true story, an adventure writ large for all the wrong reasons that ultimately nearly toppled the Reagan administration, and cost Barry Seal his life. Tom Cruise puts in a solid and compelling performance as our anti-hero in this piece, and despite his wrong doings you can't help feel an empathy for the character who was just presented with an opportunity and ran with it . . . wholesale, and beyond his wildest dreams, while it lasted. The look and feel of the late '70's and early '80's is faithfully recreated here, and Director Doug Liman weaves an engaging larger than life true story that maintains the interest throughout. But, I would have liked to dig a little more below the surface, as research shows that there was a lot more to Seal's activities than is captured here in the under two hour running time, and, I couldn't help feel that the supporting cast were underdone in terms of their contribution and value to the film. All that said, I enjoyed 'American Made' and I think you will too for Tom Cruise, and for the thrilling true life story, and its far reaching impact, that you couldn't make up if you tried.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-